The Barnstable Town Council approved a zoning change to provide hardship relief for additional signage in Hyannis’ downtown through a special permit procedure.

While the change affects only the downtown, Council president Fred Chirigotis said that he’s asked the planning board to look at sign regulations on a village-by-village basis to see if additional changes are warranted.

New signs approved in addition to what presently exists are trade flags, open/closed and trade figures or symbols. Businesses have the option of selecting one of these additional signs.

The amendment provides an opportunity for a location hardship sign that could be placed on the sidewalk if they meet certain requirements. Though widely used, A-frame signs have been illegal under the sign code across town. The change will allow businesses the opportunity to state their case to the planning board for a special permit.

To qualify for a hardship, “the front facade and entrance of the business is more than 10 feet from the front façade of abutting buildings or any business location in the HVB that is not on Main Street.”

In supporting the change for downtown, the executive directors for the Hyannis Area Chamber of Commerce and the Hyannis Main Street Business Improvement District asked that businesses in the other villages be afforded the same opportunity for additional signage.

Growth Management Director Jo Anne Miller Buntich said that the planning board is scheduled to begin its discussion on sign regulations in the remaining villages June 28, at least in a preliminary way.

Asked about the potential cost for additional enforcement, Regulatory Services Director Tom Geiler said that he’d like to see some of the special permitting language simplified.

“It’s going to cost us a fortune, and it’s going to cost the businesses a fortune,” Geiler told the council, adding that it will also add time to the process. “It’s going to be Christmas before anybody sees any of this go into effect, all of it with significant changes in process and added costs.”

Assistant Town Manager Tom Lynch said that the town manager had reviewed the proposal with staff and planning board chairman and the manager and administration “fully endorse it.”

Hyannis Councilor Greg Milne even suggested that the council simply rescind sign code provisions for the summer, with the understanding that a comprehensive amendment be drafted.

“Maybe my mind works differently,” Milne said. “We are in the most incredible recession ever … We could simply vote right here, at least for this summer season, to revoke all zoning.

Town Attorney Ruth Weil said that would require proper notice, and also that it would also create grandfathering protections for all signs installed during such a revocation when regulations come back.

During the discussion, there appeared to be good support for taking similar action for sign relief in other villages.

While it remains outside the council’s purview to direct its own staff, several councilors suggested a relaxing of enforcement on sign violations through the waiting period until the amendment takes effect.

Open House Signs

Increased sign enforcement across town over the past few weekends brought members of the real estate industry to the town council chambers June 17. Realtor Mark Stanley of William Raveis Real Estate said that the removal of open house signs has been an issue for the previous few weekends.

Stanley said that open house and directional signs are placed on a temporary basis to assist potential buyers in finding the properties for sale.

A window into the increased weekend enforcement came from comments later in the meeting by Geiler. He said that when staff is called in on the weekend for one complaint, the town is obligated to pay them for four hours. Once the initial enforcement is done, there’s the option of sending the employee home “or we can use them for four hours, and that’s why we’re picking up those Sunday signs.”